Sled-boat



(No Model.)

G.G.SG0TT.

SLBD BOAT.

Patented Nov. 30, 1897.

UNTTED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE..

GERARD O. SCOTT, OF LIMA, OHIO.

SLED-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,658, dated November 30, 1897. Application filed August 30, 1897. Serial No. 650,010. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GERARD C. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sled-Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is a novel and useful locomotive sled-boat or craft designed to be used in transporting passengers and freight and adapted to travel on land or water, being more particularly designed for use in countries without railroad or steamboat facilities, and especially adapted for travel over snow and ice, and wherein the engines or power mechanism can be utilized when the boat is at rest for running rock-drills in prospecting, sawing timber, pumping water, &c.

My improved sled-boat can travel over rough and uneven country, over obstructed trails, across ditches, ravines, and watercourses, climb steep grades and mount-ain passes, run over fallen timber,brush, and logs,

. ttc., and is therefore especially adapted for traffic and service in the Yukon country to facilitate carrying of mails and to prevent suffering and distress of travelers and carriers from hunger and exposure. It is also especially valuable for hurried Government surveying and exploring parties, as it is designed to travel continuously night and day and to give daily service between tide-water and Yukon` gold-iields.

The main body and pilot of the machine are so constructed that they will lbe buoyant in water. The body, however, has a longitudinal channel in its under side and depending portions at its sides, which serve as runners upon snow or ice. This body is also adapted as a tank to transport oil or liquid fuel for the engines or other commodities. The sledboat is also provided with automatic guards to prevent the same tipping over, as hereinafter more particularly described'.

To the front of the bodyis attached apilot 'which can be also used for transporting freight, dac., and -will cut its way through water and brush light obstacles out of `the way of the main body, thus both guiding and preparing a pathway for the latter and insuring smoother running thereof. The sledboat is also adapted to propel or pull other sleds or boats attached thereto in front or rear.

The body is provided with any suitable number of running wheels, four being shown, located at its front and rear, and these wheels may be provided with removable blades or points on their peripheries, which will act as spuds to propel the body over ice kor snow when the wheels are rotated, and in water the blades act as propellers. On prairie or other land the blades can be removed and the wheels lowered, so that they will lift the body off the ground and facilitate its transportation or transport the same like a traction-engine is moved.

The propelling-wheels are driven by suitable gearing from an engine mounted upon the. main body, and the body may be covered by a suitable housing, so as to protectthe passengers and freight from inclement or cold weather.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best form of the invention now known to me,

and wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line III III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail of one of the adjustable propelling-wheel bearings, and Fig. 5 is an end view showing the guards for preventing the upsetting of the boat. l

The main body A is constructed of any suitable material and'has a longitudinal channel A' in its under side, at each side of which are depending portions forming runners A2. The body is preferably made of sheetsteel, so that it will be stift, and can contain a large quantity of oil or other merchandise. The runners'may be shod with brass or any suitable material, as shown at cl2, Fig. 3,which will facilitate the sliding movement thereof. It will be observed that if the runners sink insoft snow or slush the bottom of the bod)T u ill afford a larger bearing-surface, and thus it can be moved along over fresh or soft snow, slush, (he.

' The propelling-wheels B are journaled upon shafts h, mounted in vertically-movable boxes C, confined in housings c, so Ias to be IOO capable of vertical play or adjustment, said boxes being depressed by means of adjustingbolts D, tapped through the cap-piece d of the housings. Said cap-piece is yieldingly Secured to the housings by means of adjustable bolts E, springs e being interposed between the upper ends of the bolts and said cap-piece, so that the wheels are substantially spring-mounted upon the body, allowing the wheels to rise if they meet an unyielding body. Then the wheels are depressed, so as to convert the machine into a land conveyance simply, the body will be suspended by the springs on the wheels. To the periphery of wheels B are detachably secured blades or spnds B', which insure the biting of the wheels upon ice or snow or soft ground, and if blades are used a number thereof can be attached to the wheels to make them serve as paddle-wheels when the machine is to be used as a boat or raft.

Upon the body A are mounted a boiler J and engine J of any suitable construction, preferably an expansion-engine for economizing water, and when such an engine is employed a condensing-chamber A4 may be formed in the body A, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Power is transmitted from the engine to the propelling-wheels in any suitable manner and by any suitable gearing. As shown, sprocket-chains L M transmit power from sprockets L and M on the main engine-shaft to sprocket-wheels Z 'm on the shafts of the propelling-wheels, respectively, the sprocketchain drives permitting the adjustment of the propelling-wheels and for their yielding movements in an advantageous manner.

The ends of runners A2 are upturned or rounded, as shown, and to the front of the body-A is connected the pilot F, also made buoyant and rounded upwardly at both ends, while its front en d is provided with a V-shaped fender F', which serves to cleave the water or to brush aside obstacles and smooth out a pathway for the bodyAin snow or ice. The pilot F is shackled tothe front end of body A by a bar G, pivoted to the body and pilot, as shown, so as to allow the pilot to move freely.

The pilot can be turned to right or left by means of the steering-chain H, one end of which is connected to the right-han d rear corner of the pilot and carried across to a sheave h on the left-hand corner of body A and carried back to a pulley t' near the boiler, then across the body to an opposite pulley i', then forward to a sheave 7L on the front right-hand corner of the body, and then diagonally across to the left-hand rear corner of the pilot,where its other end is fastened. The chain is connected between pulleys 'L' t" to the end of a pivoted hand steering-lever I or other suitable device, by shifting which the pilot is turned to left or right and thus caused to steer the body in the desired direction.

The casing O, inclosing the deck of body A, may be of any suitable construction to protect the passengers and freight, and a swiveled and rotatable search-light P may be arranged thereon to enable the occupants to inspect the surrounding country at night and the vessel to be moved during the night, if desired.

A sheave winch or windlass Q, may also be located on the body A to be used as occasion may arise in drawing the vessel up steep inclines by the aid of cables, and it can also be used in loading and unloading and in mining operations and other work beside the vessel.

The runners are hollow and are designed to increase the buoyancy of the vessel in water and to offer less friction on ice or crusted snow.

As the sled-boat .is to travel over rough roads and new country impassable to ordinary vehicles, I provide devices for preventing tipping over thereof, consisting of hinged guards looselyhin ged to the sides of the housing, so that they will automatically maintain a perpendicular position, and therefore if the boat tips laterally the guards swing out, so as to strike the ground and arrest the lateral oscillation of the sled-boat, and thus avoid the dangers of an upset. As shown, these guards comprise longitudinal horizontal bars R, attached to the lower ends of levers R, hinged at their upper ends to the sides of the housing. The guards normally lie close to the side of housing, but if the boat tips they swing out and obviously will prevent upsetting thereof.

The sled-boat is designed not only as a carrier of passengers and freigl1t,but more particularly as a locomotive to propel or pull other sleds or boats containing freight, the. The housing should be provided with windows which are unaffected by frost or snow or which are of such formation that when the glass or sight is obscured they can be shifted so as to bring a clear sight or glass before the window. An electric motor or dynamo can be mounted upon the sled-boat and furnish current 'to light the headlight, sled-boat, and attached boats with electricity.

The wheels are preferably protected by guards S on the exterior sides of body A from contact with rocks, stumps, dto., which might otherwise obstruct or injure them.

The pilot F may beutilized as a tank-carrier and may also be provided with a housing F2 to protect freight, the., stored thereon.

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From the foregoing description it will be understood that I have a sled-boat which is adapted for travel under almost all conditions of weather and which can propel itself on land,water, ice,snow, rbc. By lowering shafts 'b or lifting the body on the shafts the body can be raised, so as to be supported upon the wheels alone, thus adapting it for travel upon bare land. In water blades can be attached to the wheels to convert them into paddlewheels, so that the machine can be propelled through water, and on ice or snow the body is lowered until it rests upon the runners, and then the wheels simply propel it along.

On land the pilot can run upon wheels f, which are secured to vertically-adjustable shafts f', attached to suitable bearings on the side of the pilot. These wheels can be removed or raised out of the Way when the sled-boat is traversing water, ice, or snow.

If oils are used for fuel, they can be stored in the body as a tank or in the pilot and withdrawn through pipes, or as desired, and in cold regions gas-engines could be used, and the gas for fuel stored in the hollow pilot or body A under pressure or in liquid form, as desired.

I am Well aware that self-propelled sleds and sled-boats are old, and therefore do not pretend to be a pioneer in this line; but I believe the sled-boat I have described possesses superior advantages and novel features over any heretofore devised.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a sled-boat, the combination of the body provided with propelling mechanism, substantially as described; with the buoyant pilot pivotally connected to the front end of the body, and mechanism for turning theV pi- 'lot relatively to the body; said body being provided with buoyant runners for the purpose and substantially as described.

2. In a sled-boat, the combination of the body and the propelling mechanismthereof,

with the buoyant pilot pivotally connected to one end of the body, and the steering-chains attached to the pilot and to a steering mechanism on the body; said body being provided with buoyant runners for the purpose and substantially as described.

3. In a sled-boat, the combination of the buoyant body having longitudinal depending hollow run ners at its sides, with the verticallyadjustable spring-cushioned shafts arranged transversely of the body, the propellingwheels on said shafts exterior to the body, the engine,and the gearing between said engine-shafts and the propelling-wheel shafts, substantially as described.

Ll. The herein-described sled-boat, adapted for travel on water, land, ice, dac., comprising a hollow steel body formed with a longitudinal channel in its bottom and longitudinal hollow runners on its sides, and means for propelling said vessel, substantially as described.

The combination with the buoyant body having hollow runners, substantially as described, the transverse shafts mounted in spring-pressed journal-boxes, and means for vertically adjusting said shafts in said boxes.; with the wheels attached to t-he outer ends of said shafts provided with detachable blades, all so arranged that the wheels can be caused to uphold thebody upon land, or provided with blades and raised so as to propel the body through water or upon the runners, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the body having lonv gitudinal depending hollow runners, transverse shafts carrying wheels on their ends exterior to the body, an engine, and mechanism substantially as described for driving said shafts and wheels; with the buoyant pilot pivotally connected to the front end of the body, and mechanism substantially as described for turning said pilot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

.7. The combination of the hollow buoyant body having a longitudinal channel in its bottom and hollow runners at each side of said channel; transverse shafts journaled in spring-pressed vertically-adj ustable journalboxes; propeller-wheels on the outer ends of said shafts, an engine, and sprocket chains and gears for driving said propeller-wheel shafts from the engine-shaft, all substantially as described.

8. The herein-described sled-boat, adapted for travel on water, land, ice, dac., comprising a hollow steel body formed with a longitudinal channel in its bottom and longitudinal hollow runners on its sides, and means for propelling said vessel, with a hollow buoyant pilot in front of the body, the bar pivotally connecting the pilot to the body, and the crossed steering-'chain connecting the pilot to the steering-gear on the body, all substantially as described.

9. The combination of the hollow buoyant body having a longitudinal channel in its bottom and lhollow runners at each side of said channel; transverse shafts journaled in spring-pressed vertically-adj ustable journalboxes; propeller-wheels on the outer ends of said shafts, an engine, and sprocket chains and gears for driving said propeller-wheel shafts from the engine-shaft, with a hollow buoyant pilot in front of the body, the bar pivotally connecting the pilot to the body, and the crossed steering-chain connecting the pilot to the steering-gear on the body, all

substantially as described.

l0. In a sled-boat the combination of the body with the automatic guards pivotally attached thereto and adapted to automatically swing outward so as to maintain a perpendicular position to prevent upsetting thereof, for the purpose and substantially as described.

ll. In a sled-boat the combination of the body provided with propelling mechanism, substantially as described, with the automatically-actuatcd swinging guards suspended from the sides of the body and adapted to automatically swing outward to maintain a perpendicular position and prevent upsetting thereof, for the purpose and substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GERARD C. SCOTT. Witnesses:

Guns. E. RIoRDoN, JOHN W. GARDNER.

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